The local affiliate of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People feels the community needs to be informed about what McDonough County chapter President Gregg Huston said is an ongoing issue: Racial profiling.

The McDonough County NAACP will hold a panel discussion, "Racial Profiling: Does it happen in Macomb, IL?" at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Vineyard Community Church, 301 University Drive. Panelists scheduled to appear are Macomb Police Chief Curt Barker, McDonough County Sheriff Rick VanBrooker, Director of the Western Illinois University Office of Public Safety Scott Harris, Illinois State Police District 14 Capt. Robert Elliott and Mark Ranck with the Civil Rights Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

Barry McCrary, with Western Illinois University's Department of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, will moderate the discussion.

Huston said a discussion on racial profiling is a needed one in the Macomb community.

"There's a need because we're getting numerous, numerous complaints from young black males in the community," he told The Voice Tuesday morning. "We have been for years, especially this last couple years. We just felt it was getting kind of out of control, and it definitely needs to be addressed."

Ramone Doyle, with the McDonough County NAACP, said he said he doesn't want Saturday's panel to be a chance to debate or argue but to simply talk. He also described an incident that could interpreted as racial profiling.

"The police officer is there to serve and protect, not to harass," he said, "and that's one of my big issues. When you have someone getting ready to graduate next month with their master's degree and they can't go for an evening jog without getting stopped by the police asking what you're doing, when clearly he was just jogging, that's a big concern. That can't be tolerated, and it won't be tolerated."

Huston, who has been president of the McDonough County NAACP for 22 years, recalled being stopped by police himself years ago.

"I was stopped 10 years ago walking down the street at nine o'clock at night, 'Where you going, Where you been, What are you doing,' so this has been an ongoing problem," he said.

According to Huston, local enforcement has been responsive to the participating in the discussion.

"They're looking forward to it and they feel there might be some things they need to address, so yes," he said.